


Dual Delusion

by justanoutlaw



Series: Femslash February 2021 [13]
Category: Orange is the New Black
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Child Death, Delusions, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Mania, Mental Health Issues, Season/Series 07, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:40:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29591544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: Because maybe Lorna isn't the only one with crazy delusions.
Relationships: Lorna Morello/Nicky Nichols
Series: Femslash February 2021 [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137281
Kudos: 7





	Dual Delusion

**Author's Note:**

> For Day 20 of Femslash February: cuts/nature/work
> 
> TW: Sterling's death is referenced.

If the guards see, they’ll send her to medical. If she goes to medical, they’ll hear her babblings and then Nicky will lose her.

She _can’t_ lose her.

So, Nicky drags Lorna back into her dorm, gently pushing her back onto her bunk. She searches the cell and finds one of her extra shirts. With her teeth, Nicky rips the poor-quality polyester cloth and sets it to the side.

  
Lorna’s Long Island accent drifts in. “I just wanted to pick Sterling some flowers.”

Nicky nods, locating a water bottle. She grabs hold of Lorna’s hand. “This is gonna sting a bit, babe.” She gently pours it over the wound. Lorna flinches, but stares dreamily off into the distance.

“I think he’d like the daffodils. It’d look so cute in the nursery. Did I tell you what Vinny and I did with it?”

Nicky looks away at the mention of Lorna’s ex-husband. “No, sweetie, you didn’t.” Even though she has. Only about a million times.

“Bumblebees! Well, we didn’t know what he was going to be until he was born, so Vinny’s mom painted the room yellow. It’s so cute. I have pictures…” She goes to grab her phone with her free hand, but Nicky gently swats it away.

“We don’t want the…” She trails off, remembering Lorna’s state. When she gets like this, she forgets she’s in prison. “We don’t want the baby to get hold of it. Screen time is bad for him, remember?”

There was a point where Nicky tried to get Lorna to admit the truth. That Sterling never made it into the bumblebee themed nursery. He never left the NICU. Sterling’s forever a tiny baby, not the pictures Lorna boasts about on her Instagram. Vinny used to get the accounts shut down but Nicky convinced him it was only hurting Lorna. He listens, claiming that she knows “their girl” best.

Is she “their girl” anymore? Vinny gave up on her. Nicky never will. She’ll always stand by her side.

“Right,” Lorna replies, sighing contently. “You’re so good with him.”

Nicky nods, taking credit for caring for a baby that she never got to meet. The baby she mourned despite not wanting him, resenting him in a way. But in the end, she was right. She’d help Lorna with him in any way she could.

Because maybe Lorna isn’t the only crazy one. Nicky allowed herself to picture a life with the two of them. Helping Lorna raise Sterling, they’d be the family that Nicky never had. She never wanted kids, but she’d do it for Lorna. She’d do anything for Lorna.

“I need you to rest,” Nicky whispers as she wraps the shirt around the cut. “We have to work tomorrow, remember? Gotta help Red cook.”

Lorna nods, her eyes closing. The wound is superficial and can’t be causing her much pain. It’s how she always gets after one of these episodes. She takes off and Nicky searches, finding her in the rec yard trying to scale the fence for flowers that aren’t even growing in the middle of winter. Nicky risks her own safety to shuttle Lorna away, before any of the guards catch wind. She’ll have to come up with an excuse for the blood, maybe Lorna fell.

“I love you,” Nicky whispers, brushing a kiss to her temple.

“I love you, Vinny.”

Nicky shuts her eyes, swallowing hard. She accepted awhile ago that her fantasies will never come true. Even if they both somehow make it out of prison. Even if Lorna makes a miraculous recovery…there’s no them. The only version of them that exists is behind these prison walls. Because once she gets out, Lorna will continue to chase boys not worth her time.

_Never fall for the straight girl_ only works until you meet _that_ straight girl. The one that fucks your brain open. You don’t realize it’s happened until it’s far too late.


End file.
